If you missed Part 1 of this series, please click here.
Once you have the speaker placement all figured out, the next step is going to be to figure out the screen placement in the room.
Typically speaking, when you set up the home theater, the projection or TV wall is going to be the short wall in the room. If you have a projector screen and are able to fill that entire wall with a screen, well, you are going to have some serious neighbor envy. If you are using a big-screen TV, try to take up as much of that wall as you can, with the screen obviously being centered on that wall. The front speakers should also be equidistant from the screen.
For some of you, especially those of your coming into a build that is already in place, you may find the best room for the home theater has a window where the TV or screen needs to go. We do not recommend removing the window for resale purposes. What you can do, however, is cover the window from the inside to block out the light.
You can block the window with a piece of vinyl to match the color of the wall, tacking it up along the window frame. The small holes can be easily covered upon removal and you can still mount a TV as large as 120” inches. From the outside, it will look like the blinds are down, and you will never even see the vinyl behind the TV.
Finally, there is a misconception that the higher the TV, the better. That is false. The optimum viewing angle for the TV is right at eye level, which presents a comfortable viewing angle for everyone. Mount the TV too high and you are permanently in the front row of the movie theater. Think about your favorite seats when you go to theater… probably middle to back, right? If you look at the level of the screen from that seating perspective, you will see why we recommend using eye level as the mounting point for the screen.
If you are mounting the TV over a fireplace or something similar, consider a moveable mount that will allow you to pull the TV off the wall and drop it lower when being viewed.
To continue to Part 3, click here.
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